Sentinel Peak

Dullstroom

No fish! But a great weekend away.

We leave Pretoria around 5:15 pm and once past Witbank the light has already faded and most of our journey is in the dark. We arrive late Friday night in Dullstroom about three hours drive east of Pretoria. Both Debbie and I are tired and after dinner we hit the sack.

Early the next morning I am awoken by Jay and Lennie screaming, fish! fish! That was about the only time we caught anything the whole weekend.

As we walk out on to the deck near to the house we are staying in, I am greeted by the most breathtaking scenery as seen in the pictures here above.

After breakfast we head into town, a small little fishing community with quaint shops. Annette and Debbie have a blast, looking in every little store. Lennie too has a ton of fun and we find this little bakery with real old style fresh bread.

The rest of the day includes a long afternoon nap and then hitting the waters. This is only the second time I have fly fished but I thoroughly enjoy it. We stand on the banks of the dam and the fish play games with us all afternoon long. In total we catch three bass. I am yet to catch something of worth.

Even though my fly fishing skills are poor, both Debbie and I were able to escape reality and spend some valuable time together.

ASEA Christmas Party.

THE BRAAI BOYS!

From left to right: Cluso, Mario and Adolf

The Lion Park

Watch out here she comes.

Earlier this year we took a trip to the Lion Park just outside of Krugersdorp. Here are some of the pictures taken.

US wins Nelson Mandela Challenge

SOUTH AFRICA 0 -v- USA 1

OK, OK, I will say it, well done to the US on their win over Bafana Bafana. It was not the best game ever played but it had moments of individual brilliance.

One thing that stood out to me was the US defence, it was good, or was it the lacklustre attempts at goal from South African strikers?

Debbie had fun and for the first time we supported the same team, no Becky not the USA. Zola and his wife kept the SA flag flying high. We were only 7 South African supporters amongst the large crowed of Americans, can you imagine the stick we got. I must say my cheeks hurt from the vuvuzela and no! Mark and I did not die from eating pap and chicken, the rest missed out. At the end of the day all had fun and new friends were made.

The Masia Mara

We reach the Masai Mara just before launch, at the end of a road that degenerates from bad to just about non-existent. The drive down was uncomfortable but afforded us the opportunity to see the great drift valley.

We find elephants everywhere, traveling in small herds with their young. We see a number of giraffe. We discover three separate kinds of giraffe during our stay in Kenya. Though they seem ungainly while still, they move with a grace and fluidity much greater than their form suggests. I enjoy them as much as the zebras, which watch us shyly through dark eyes, with tails swishing.

The Masai Mara itself is a phenomenal backdrop for its exotic and amazing denizens. The horizons are broad and open, and the sky overhead is immense. From our vehicle we can see for kilometers and yet we only perceive a fraction of the life that surrounds us. Still, it is there: monkeys in the treetops, gorgeous sapphire-colored birds flitting from the branches, gazelles bounding across the hillsides, while lions lay in wait.

Its most blatantly visible aspect is the wildebeest migration, which we are lucky to be present for in September. They are too numerous to count. The sound of their hooves tramping, with no obvious leader and yet moving in a coordinated way that resembles a river of flesh, forms the drumbeat of the plain. They have traveled north from the Serengeti, and in a few months will return to where they began.

With no exceptions, the animals we see are healthy and well-fed, from gazelle to oryx to cheetah. Even the Masai, who we encounter briefly, seem to be doing well overall.

What an experience! Debbie and I plan on visiting this beautiful part of Africa again.